diff --git a/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/__tests__/index.js b/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/__tests__/index.js
index 78e588a0b6..99439e99f1 100644
--- a/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/__tests__/index.js
+++ b/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/__tests__/index.js
@@ -321,18 +321,12 @@ testRule({
 
 testRule({
 	ruleName,
-	config: [0, { ignoreAfterCombinators: ['~', '+', '>', 'h1', 'article'] }],
+	config: [0, { ignoreAfterCombinators: ['~', '+', '>'] }],
 
 	accept: [
 		{
 			code: '.foo {}',
 		},
-		{
-			code: 'article * {}',
-		},
-		{
-			code: 'h1 * {}',
-		},
 		{
 			code: '.foo ~ * {}',
 		},
diff --git a/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/index.js b/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/index.js
index 2987286a1b..2a8bda7b83 100644
--- a/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/index.js
+++ b/lib/rules/selector-max-universal/index.js
@@ -52,19 +52,19 @@ const rule = (primary, secondaryOptions) => {
 		 * @param {import('postcss').Rule} ruleNode
 		 */
 		function checkSelector(selectorNode, ruleNode) {
-			const count = selectorNode.reduce((total, childNode, index, nodes) => {
+			const count = selectorNode.reduce((total, childNode) => {
 				// Only traverse inside actual selectors
 				// All logical combinations will be resolved as nested selector in `postcss-resolve-nested-selector`
 				if (childNode.type === 'selector') {
 					checkSelector(childNode, ruleNode);
 				}
 
-				let prevChildNode = nodes[index - 1];
+				let prevChildNode = childNode.prev();
 				let prevChildNodeValue = prevChildNode && prevChildNode.value;
 
 				// checks if previous child node is descendant combinator
-				if (prevChildNodeValue === ' ') {
-					prevChildNode = nodes[index - 2];
+				if (prevChildNode && prevChildNode.type === 'combinator' && prevChildNodeValue === ' ') {
+					prevChildNode = prevChildNode.prev();
 
 					prevChildNodeValue = prevChildNode && prevChildNode.value;
 				}